Monteiths Zezty Radller Bier is another one of the tasty beers with a touch of citrus added. This time lemon. It is a high quality beer based on the Bavarian lager. The beer is rather refreshing and it is hard to stop at just one. Monteiths is one of New Zealand’s best brewers dating back to 1868, they have a whole range of classic beers which are well worth trying including an original ale, golden lager, a black and a Celtic red. Some are seasonal so keep an eye out for them, you wont be dissapointed.
Vailima is a small mountain village in Samoa which is a lovely island country in the South Pacific a bit north of New Zealand and home of Vailima Draught. Now a Fosters Group company. The name Vailima comes from a local legend meaning Water in the Hand, the story goes that a couple was crossing Upolu which is an island over the mountains and the man was dying of thirst. The woman used the palms of her hands to fetch him some water to save him from dying. Anyway back to the beer, the Samoa Breweries Limited began operations only in 1978 it was a joint venture between a German beer company Haase Braurei and the Government, they bottled San Miguel for a while and now brew the Coca Cola soft drink range and EKU Bavaria under license. The Vailima beer in fact is a German Style larger which is a very refreshing taste in this beautiful piece of south Pacific paradise. Read the rest of this entry »
The Waikato is a region on the Western side of the North Island of New Zealand around the city of Hamilton extending along the pristine Waikato River and is home to Waikato Draught. Now a Lion Nathan beer the beer has a very rich history dating back to 1864 when brewer Scot Charles Innes arrived in New Zealand. Charles Innes started a brewery in 1871 at Ngaruawhia and then a new brewery was established in 1873 in Hamilton East. A bit of tragedy followed with fire destroying the brewery in 1897 and poor old Charles Innes drowning while bathing in one of his beer vats- what a way to go. His wife Mary took over the reins and it later became a public company with what is now Lion Nathan merging with the brewery in the 50’s. The beer brand has a strong tradition with Rugby and is a real tasty beer- They have won Gold Medal and Best in Class at the 2005 BrewNZ awards just to prove it.
Massey University in New Zealand has got one of the coolest courses going around. They have built a microbrewery at their School of Engineering and Advanced Technology and have produced their first beer called Pilot Pils, which even adheres to the sacred Bavarian brewing laws. The brewery was set up to provide teaching for students who are studying brewing and beverage technology. There are plans underway to actually grow the barley on farms around the Massey University and process the grains on site to produce a truly Massey Beer. The microbrew has also the potential to be able to make wine. Over the years there have been quiet a few graduates who have left the university to pursue brewing careers, and with this new installation there should be plenty more over the coming years.
Monteith is one of New Zealand’s best brewers and their New Zealand Lager is a very tasty drop indeed. Naturally brewed with none of those nasty chemical additives or preservatives this beer uses the freshest of New Zealand ingredients and crystal clear water to deliver a very crisp clean and somewhat fruity taste. The beer has recently been introduced into London, and has gone crazy- The other half of New Zealand (the ones that don’t live in Sydney) live in London and they just cant get enough of the stuff. At the moment the huge Corney and Barrow bar chain has exclusive rights to the beer in London. The bottle is one of the best looking bottles you will find in the pub’s fridge it’s distinctive New Zealand fern emboss and classy black and silver label makes this beer stand out and say buy me- and our suggestion to you- is do it… it is a real good beer. Now New Zealand Lager isn’t the only tasty drop Monteith’s make they have a whole suite of products one range to look out for is their seasonal ranges, Their fruity summer ale is probably just starting to go off the shelves to make way for the Winter Ale which if it is anything like last years will be sensational. Look out for it!
Lion Brewery, the home of Lion Red, New Zealand’s biggest beer brand, and Steinlager, Lion’s flagship international beer has a fantastic and educational experience for anyone visiting Auckland. The Lionzone is an innovative, interactive and entertaining experience centred around the breweries great products. Opening in 2001 the centre has two levels with level one focusing on beer history and a visit to the gift shop and Captain Cook Brewery. Level 2 has some great exhibits showing how beer is made and a bit of history of its famous products. There’s a fascinating virtual tour on the making of beer. But the highlight of the tour for many is tasting the freshly brewed product at the Brew Floor Bar and learn the best way to pour and taste the beer! Read the rest of this entry »
There’s only one thing South Island New Zealander’s really love is Speights. Originating from the beautiful city of Dunedin the beer is known as the Pride of the South. Now we all know there are thousands of New Zealanders in England, well they couldn’t get a Speights there so they had to resort to drinking Steinlager or even worse Fosters. Over 500 emails protested to the Speight’s company so they decided to send a pub on a boat to London to stop them whinging jam packed full of tasty Speights. The 10 week world voyage took in Samoa, Panama, New York before reaching London in October. Read the rest of this entry »
Tui is one of the favorite beers across the ditch in New Zealand. Tui is originally from the small North Island town of Mangatainoka and is in the process of spending a huge amount of money refurbishing a magnificent park around their soon to be opened museum which is on the site of their old brewery. They are planting 4000 square metres of lawn and 2000 native trees. Tui was founded by Henry Wagstaff in 1889 and its biggest selling beer is the tasty East India Ale, the brewery is now controlled by DB Breweries. While we wait for it to open later this year, we can sit back and watch this great You Tube commercial.
The Moa to most people is an extinct bird a bit like an Australian Emu but it’s also a beer and a really good beer in fact. It’s brewed by one of New Zealand’s premier small breweries- The Moa Brewing Company which is located in Blenheim which is not far from the North Coast on the South Island, across the strait to Wellington. Now this beer is rather special it is brewed in 750ml bottles which have been wire corked just like champagne. The brewery actually uses quiet a few wine making techniques to produce this lovely drop. The conditioning of the beer takes six weeks and then it is bottled with some more yeast and sugar. After fermentation the bottle is turned upside down and the neck is frozen. The sediment is then removed. The bottle is then sealed with the cork and wire allowing the beer to be sold crystal clear and sparkling.The beer comes in three tasty varieties, Moa Noir which is a dark larger, Moa Blac which is a 65% wheat malt and 35% barley malt beer and the favorite the Red Label Moa – which is a hoppsy pilsner.For more information visit Moa’s website: http://www.moabeer.co.nz
